”Youth Gambling Control Act” put on hold due to political infighting = South Korea

In South Korea, deliberations on a bill to protect young people from online casinos have stalled. This is because all civil legislation has been halted since the declaration of martial law.
Even if the measures are strengthened, without institutional support, the damage could continue, and discussion is urgently needed.
The "Special Bill for the Prevention of Gambling Activities" (Internet Gambling Prevention Act) is currently under deliberation in the Diet. This bill aims to take measures against financial transactions, as it is difficult to crack down on illegal online casinos.
The purpose of this is to prevent damage by suspending the use of telephone numbers and encouraging reporting. Just as accounts used for voice phishing are blocked, accounts used for gambling deposits and withdrawals are blocked.
If financial institutions suspect an account is being used for illegal profits through self-inspection, they may delay or suspend transfers, remittances, or withdrawals from the account.
In addition, investigative agencies can request financial companies to stop making payments to accounts related to illegal gambling, and financial companies can also request other financial companies to stop making payments to which illegal profits have been transferred.
It is expected that such measures will be effective in preventing minors from becoming victims of gambling. For this reason, the bill was introduced by 27 opposition lawmakers.
However, interest in civil welfare bills has waned since the state of emergency, and this bill has also suffered a setback.
The "Bill to Partially Amend the Youth Protection Act" and the "Bill to Partially Amend the Game Industry Promotion Act," which were primarily intended to support treatment and rehabilitation for youth, were scrapped due to the expiration of their terms.
There are fears that if the conflict between the ruling and opposition parties intensifies in the future, the bill to prevent minors from gambling may not be passed.
"The problem of gambling addiction among young people is becoming more serious, so the bill needs to be put in place quickly," said the professor. "The bill needs to keep up with technological developments, but it is being embroiled in political disputes.
"It is difficult to keep up with the situation," he said. "We need to impose strong legal sanctions on the operators of gambling sites, and if necessary, we need to suspend accounts that have been used and completely block payments."
” he emphasized.